GOOD FOR EVIL

JUNE 2

Psalm 109

Psalm 109:4-5, “In return for my love they accuse me, but I give myself to prayer. So they reward me evil for good, and hatred for my love.”

To love freely and give generously without receiving love in return is difficult. But when sincere goodness is repaid with evil, it can feel especially painful and disheartening. This kind of sorrow is not unfamiliar to God’s people. While we don’t know the exact circumstances surrounding Psalm 109, there are many moments in David’s life when his love met with hostility or betrayal. In this psalm, David directed his heartache to God in prayer. He pours out his pain, in honest, vulnerable conversation with the One who judges justly.

Nowhere is this pattern more clearly seen than at the cross. Jesus, who only and always loved—healed, forgave, and spoke truth—was met not with gratitude, but with betrayal, arrest, false accusation, and ultimately crucifixion. Yet He responded not with vengeance but with forgiveness: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a pastor and theologian during Nazi Germany, is a modern witness to this same truth. His stand against injustice and his efforts to protect others were met with imprisonment and, eventually, execution. Yet he did not allow evil to define his response. From his prison cell, he wrote about grace, forgiveness, and even joy. He understood what it meant to overcome evil with good—not by passivity, but by a courageous love that refused to mirror hate. Like David, Bonhoeffer turned to God with his lament and his trust.

The challenge for us is the same: when our good is met with evil, the natural temptation is to retaliate. But as followers of Christ, we are called to a higher path. “Repay no one evil for evil,” writes the Apostle Paul (Romans 12:17). And again, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God” (Romans 12:19). In choosing this path, we do not allow evil to overcome us. Instead, we overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21).

May we, like David, Bonhoeffer, and ultimately Christ, bring our hurt and our hope to God in prayer—and respond not with bitterness, but with the power of overcoming love.

“The more deeply we grow into the psalms and the more often we pray them as our own, the more simple and rich will our prayer become.” — Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible

Application Questions: When have you experienced good being repaid with evil, and how did you respond? What would it look like to bring that pain to God in honest prayer, like David in Psalm 109?

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Author: looking2jesus13

Jerry L. Conklin was born and raised in Hillsboro, Oregon. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the United States Navy and served for six years in the Navy’s Nuclear Power Program. He was assigned to the USS *Omaha* (SSN-692), a nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine, where he served as a reactor-plant electrical operator. His military service took him to ports and locations throughout the world and provided extensive technical training, leadership experience, and an enduring appreciation for those who serve in the Armed Forces. Following his Navy service, Jerry earned a bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Technology from Thomas Edison State University. He worked at the Trojan Nuclear Plant near Rainier, Oregon, first as a reactor operator and later as a training specialist. After sensing God’s call to pastoral ministry, he left the nuclear-power industry and earned a master’s degree in theology from Western Conservative Baptist Seminary in Portland, Oregon. Jerry served for twenty-seven and a half years as senior pastor of Lewis and Clark Bible Church in Astoria, Oregon. During those years, he preached and taught the Scriptures, provided pastoral counseling, performed weddings and memorial services, trained church leaders, and served individuals and families throughout the community. He also served as a fire department chaplain and participated in a variety of community ministries. After retiring from full-time pastoral ministry, Jerry and his wife, Laura, moved to Heppner, Oregon. There he served for approximately four years as a chaplain with Pioneer Memorial Home Health and Hospice, providing spiritual and emotional support to more than 150 patients and their families. In 2023, the Oregon Association for Home Care honored him as its Chaplain of the Year. Jerry also helped establish South Morrow County Seniors Matter, a nonprofit organization created to address the needs of older adults following the COVID-19 pandemic. As chairman, he worked with community leaders and volunteers to develop a weekly senior meal program, a monthly veterans’ lunch, and other activities and services. The organization served hundreds of seniors, mobilized more than 200 volunteers, and received statewide and national recognition. In 2025, Jerry was named Heppner’s Man of the Year, and his community service was later recognized by United States Senator Jeff Merkley. International missions have also been an important part of Jerry’s ministry. He has made ten trips to Uganda, where he has taught at pastors’ conferences, preached in churches, participated in Bible-school graduations, distributed Bibles and Christian materials, and encouraged local pastors and ministry leaders. He developed the discipleship booklet *First Steps with Jesus* to help new believers understand and grow in their faith. Jerry is the author of numerous books, Bible studies, devotionals, and teaching resources, including works centered on prayer, Christian hope, spiritual growth, and the person of Jesus Christ. His decades of preaching and teaching reflect his commitment to presenting biblical truth clearly, practically, and faithfully. Jerry and Laura were married for nearly forty-two years and raised four children. They were also blessed with three grandchildren. Laura passed away in August 2025 following an eight-and-a-half-year battle with cancer. Jerry currently lives in Hillsboro, where he helps care for his elderly father. He continues to preach, teach, write, and serve others through pastoral and community ministry.

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